The Upanishads

By Swami Paramananda

The Upanishads, originally written during 5th century BC and first translated into English in early 19th century, are early philosophical texts of the Hindu religion and contain within them the tenets upon which the central philosophical concepts of the religion are based.
A doctrine on Hindu thought and culture and perhaps the most important literature from ancient India, The Upanishads expound on principles like samsara, brahman, atman, karma, dharma and moksha and form the core of Indian philosophy. Along with the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahmasutra, the Upanishads provide a foundation for the several later schools of Vedanta.
This version is an English translation by Swami Paramananda as part of his mission to spread the eastern teachings of Hinduism to the Western world. Paramananda was a swami and one of the early Indian teachers who went to the United States to spread the Vedanta philosophy and religion. He was a mystic, a poet and an innovator in spiritual community living. Using his experience as a religious scholar, Paramananda sensitively and successfully translated the wisdom into the
foremost of Western languages. Easy to understand and simply written, the thought behind this text is to know your SELF and follow the wisdom within the text to lead a wholesome and spiritually centered life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fingerprint Publishing
• Release date: Jul 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9789358562804

Book preview

PREFACE

The translator’s idea of rendering the Upanishads into clear simple English, accessible to Occidental readers, had its origin in a visit paid to a Boston friend in 1909. The gentleman, then battling with a fatal malady, took from his library shelf a translation of the Upanishads and, opening it, expressed deep regret that the obscure and unfamiliar form shut from him what he felt to be profound and vital teaching.

The desire to unlock the closed doors of this ancient treasure house, awakened at that time, led to a series of classes on the Upanishads at The Vedanta Centre of Boston during its early days in St. Botolph Street. The translation and commentary then given were transcribed and, after studious revision, were published in the Centre’s monthly magazine, The Message of the East, in 1913 and 1914. Still further revision has brought it to its present form.

So far as was consistent with a faithful rendering of the Sanskrit text, the Swami throughout his translation has sought to eliminate all that might seem obscure and confusing to the modern mind. While retaining in remarkable measure the rhythm and archaic force of the lines, he has tried not to sacrifice directness and simplicity of style. Where he has been obliged to use the Sanskrit term for lack of an exact English equivalent, he has invariably interpreted it by a familiar English word in brackets; and everything has been done to remove the sense of strangeness in order that the Occidental reader may not feel himself an alien in the new regions of thought opened to him.

Even more has the Swami striven to keep the letter subordinate to the spirit. Any Scripture is only secondarily an historical document. To treat it as an object of mere intellectual curiosity is to cheat the world of its deeper message. If mankind is to derive the highest benefit from a study of it, its appeal must be primarily to the spiritual consciousness; and one of the salient merits of the present translation lies in this, that the translator approaches his task not only with the grave concern of the careful scholar, but also with the profound reverence and fervor of the true devotee.

Editor

Boston—March, 1919

INTRODUCTION

The Upanishads represent the loftiest heights of ancient Indo-Aryan thought and culture. They form the wisdom portion or Gnana-Kanda of the Vedas, as contrasted with the Karma-Kanda or sacrificial portion. In each of the four great Vedas—known as Rik, Yajur, Sama and Atharva—there is a large portion which deals predominantly with rituals and ceremonials, and which has for its aim to show man how by the path of right action he may prepare himself for higher attainment. Following this in each Veda is another portion called the Upanishad, which deals wholly with the essentials of philosophic discrimination and ultimate spiritual vision. For this reason the Upanishads are known as the Vedanta, that is, the end or final goal of wisdom (Veda, wisdom; anta, end).

The name Upanishad has been variously interpreted. Many claim that it is a compound Sanskrit word Upa-ni-shad, signifying sitting at the feet or in the presence of a teacher; while according to other authorities it means to shatter or to destroy the fetters of ignorance. Whatever may have been the technical reason for selecting this name, it was chosen undoubtedly to give a picture of aspiring seekers approaching some wise Seer in the seclusion of an Himalayan forest, in order to learn of him the profoundest truths regarding the cosmic universe and God. Because these teachings were usually given in the stillness of some distant retreat, where the noises of the world could not disturb the tranquillity of the contemplative life, they are known also as Aranyakas, Forest Books. Another reason for this name may be found in the fact that they were intended especially for the Vanaprasthas (those who, having fulfilled all their duties in the world, had retired to the forest to devote themselves to spiritual study).

The form which the teaching naturally assumed was that of dialogue, a form later adopted by Plato and other Greek philosophers. As nothing was written and all instruction was transmitted orally, the Upanishads are called Srutis, what is heard. The term was also used in the sense of revealed, the Upanishads being regarded as direct revelations of God; while the Smritis, minor Scriptures recorded through memory, were traditional works of purely human origin. It is a significant fact that nowhere in the Upanishads is mention made of any author or recorder.

No date for the origin of the Upanishads can be fixed, because the written text does not limit their antiquity. The word Sruti makes that clear to us. The teaching probably existed ages before it was set down in any written form. The text itself bears evidence of this, because not infrequently in a dialogue between teacher and disciple the teacher quotes from earlier Scriptures now unknown to us. As Professor Max Müller states in his lectures on the Vedanta Philosophy: One feels certain that behind all these lightning-flashes of religious and philosophic thought there is a distant past, a dark background of which we shall never know the beginning. Some scholars place the Vedic period as far back as 4000 or 5000 B.C.; others from 2000 to 1400

Reviews for The Upanishads

[devendradave-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Short and crisp. But for introduction it is a good one.

[keylawk · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Upanishads, the most influential of which are included here, have been studied and meditated upon for a thousand centuries, well before any of them were written down. I am not sure about the quality of translation, or the authority of the Commentary provided by Swami Paramananda. {Without "comment" on how he got his inappropriate first name, he fails to translate many concepts. I am not suggesting that Sanscrit words are all translatable--perhaps none are. But we ought to be able to translate the words for hunger, fear, destiny, envy and love upon which worlds turn. The word "consciousness" appears to problem the Swami. True enough, it is obvious that most people do not behave as if they are aware of themselves or others. So, is there a word for what we actually have? Or do we imagine this in different ways? Does each culture redoubt in Guilt by association?}The collection includes four of the earliest spiritual texts, although none are dated with certainty, and the authors are unknown. The Upanishads were compiled from "Hindu" teachings first written around 1500 BC. They are among the earliest writings on human consciousness. (Portions of the Gilgamesh epic in Sumer go back to 3500 bc.) These sacred texts are said to reveal truth about God, the Ultimate Reality and spiritual salvation. The Upanishads were passed down from gurus to those who were looking for spiritual truths and guidance for life.There are hundreds of Upanishads, but twelve are considered the most essential. In this book, Paramananda selects four significant Upanishads: Isa, Katha, Kena and Mundaka. Each one begins with a peaceful chant. The verses are presented in question and answer form. Why this is so is never explained. Is this really a great "teaching technique"? What about technical knowledge? Is this an admission that the guru is himself just fishing?Isa speaks of the pervading deity. It also tells readers there are means of doing actions while still evading and even renouncing the fruits of actions. It tries, and fails, to be "practical".Katha is a popular "story-telling" portion of the Upanishad. After revealing the tales of many gods, Paramananda seems to suggest a monotheistic basis of Hinduism arises from the meaning of the word "Om." (Clearly, Hindus are no closer than "Christians" to being able to articulate a description of God. No religious system has ever made sense of "monotheism". Apparently it is impossible to have a "belief", and no one "believes in One God". People have filled the world with ancestors, angels, and spirits bearing their hopes and prayers to some heavenly shore.) (A flying ass took Mohammed to Heaven. Pegasus should be worshiped, as more deserving for performing valuable services, and more worthy for knowing the actual pathway to heaven, with a nocturnal demonstration as a practical matter.) Kena provides a short but complex description of consciousness.Mundaka explains an eternally recycled creation spiral, and the path to heaven. While relying upon "eternal verities" and reincarnating spiritual personalities, it does seem to be a grace to imagine such a path, and a thing to be admired that there may be folks seeking that path. There is little in these Upanishads that is scientific. The conclusions are keen insights, often logical, often quite beautifully expressed, but rarely the result of repeated experiments with explanations drawn from data. If a human being does nasty things, then after death, they karmically return as a lower order of life. This certainly explains the sheer abundance of beetles, mosquitoes, protozoa, and viral forms of quasi-living mineralized colloidal dust. It does not explain why almost every dog is more noble than almost any man.